Home Care Packages: How to make every dollar count
As the cost of living continues to rise, many ageing Australians are casting an even more critical eye over their home care packages to ensure they’re getting value for money.
Regardless of the level of government-subsidised Home Care Package you receive, it’s important to be certain every dollar of your allocated funds counts.
When comparing the prices of Home Care Package providers, there is a lot to consider.
While consideration of hourly rates are important, this is only part of the equation when weighing up which provider is best to deliver your home care services.
What is a Home Care Package?
A Home Care Package is a bundle of home care services that provide individualised care for Australians aged over 65 who have complex care needs but wish to remain living independently at home.
There are four levels of Home Care Packages:
- Level 1: basic care needs
- Level 2: low-level care needs
- Level 3: intermediate care needs
- Level 4: high-level care needs
The services you receive are based on your assessed care needs, but can include bathing, hygiene support and grooming; meal preparation; nursing; help with impairments and continence; transport; cleaning; and home and garden maintenance.
As a starting point, you complete an eligibility check online or over the phone. Then ACAT (an Aged Care Assessment Team) will assess if you are eligible for a Home Care Package and what level of care you can get.
Once approved, you enter the National Priority System (NPS) queue, to await assignment of your package.
When this happens, you’ll need to select your provider. Before choosing one, it’s helpful to understand how your package budget works, how much the government will contribute towards your home care services, and how much you will be out of pocket. While the government provides a subsidy, you may have to pay a basic daily fee and additional fees that you agree to such as care management and package management costs.
And remember, you can switch providers at any time.
Maximising your Home Care Package funds
Approved Home Care Package providers use various pricing models.
To get the most out of your package, it’s vital to compare apples with apples. In other words, you need to look at the actual home care services you need and will receive, and all the fees involved – not just hourly rates.
Home Instead, for instance, doesn’t have the cheapest hourly rate, but is competitive with no daily fees and lower than average package management costs.
Here are some important things to consider when looking at Home Care Package providers:
- versus self-managed: Do you want to manage your plan or have all aspects of your plan, including finances and booking of your care services, controlled? If you’re considering self-management, think about how much effort you will need to put in and whether it’s worth it. If you self-manage your plan, you will need to find and coordinate your services, which means it’s up to you to find an alternate caregiver if your usual caregiver is sick.
- Flexible support: Your care needs can change over time. With that in mind, check whether the provider gives you the option to flex up services as needed. Can you access 24/7 support if needed? You’re not always limited to what’s available as part of your Home Care Package either. Many providers offer comparable services with private (self-funded) options available.
- Pricing: Make sure you look beyond the hourly rate. Providers may also charge package management fees, basic daily fees and transport. If they charge for travel, you need to clarify whether this is between clients, to and from shift, or just during the shift. Also check whether they manage other approved service providers on your behalf and, if so, how they charge these – i.e) is it a flat rate and if so, is it a competitive flat rate or do they on-charge the cost price from service providers such as gardeners?
It’s also a good idea to use a checklist to ensure you pick a provider who can best manage your ongoing assessed needs and care goals. Home Instead’s checklist offers a helpful framework you could use as a reference.
Home Care Package pricing transparency
To be confident you aren’t being overcharged for home care services, it’s worth checking out the national summary of home care prices.
To improve the transparency of Home Care Package pricing, the Department of Health and Aged Care regularly publishes national median prices for common care services. This includes care management, package management, personal care, nursing, light gardening and cleaning.
It’s important you are happy with your Home Care Package provider and the in-home care you receive. You should feel you are getting good value for money and are receiving quality care that suits your needs. If you aren’t happy, you have the right to change to another provider.
Home Instead is an approved Home Care Package provider through My Aged Care, delivering relationship-based care for our valued clients through government-funded packages, from levels 1 to 4. Find out more here.